Method and apparatus for making up and breaking out threaded tubular connections

Abstract

An internally gripping tong to rotate tubular segments comprising a central cam body rotatably disposed within a housing having a plurality of windows. The cam body is surrounded by a plurality of angularly distributed gripping jaws slidably received within the windows. The tong is disposed within a bore of a tubular segment, and rotation of the housing relative to the cam body deploys the gripping jaws radially outwardly within the windows to engage the interior wall of the tubular segment. The tong may be self-energizing in both the make-up and the break-out modes of operation. The tong may be deployed to grip the tubular segment using a device to frictionally couple the housing to the tubular segment that cooperates with the top drive assembly, or by an internal actuator that imparts rotation to the housing relative to the cam body.

1. An internally gripping tong to grip a bore of a tubular segment, comprising:
 a housing having a bore and a plurality of angularly distributed windows to movably receive a plurality of jaws between a retracted position and a deployed position; 
 an externally-splined shaft rotatably received within the bore of the housing; and 
 a cam body having an internally-splined bore received on the externally-splined shaft central to the plurality of jaws, the cam body having a plurality of camming surfaces thereon; 
 wherein rotation of the housing relative to the cam body deploys the plurality of jaws from the retracted position radially outwardly within the plurality of windows to the deployed position to engage an interior wall of the tubular segment. 
 
     
     
       2. An apparatus for releasably gripping an interior wall of a tubular segment comprising:
 a generally tubular housing having a bore and a plurality of angularly distributed windows; 
 a shaft having external splines for receiving and rotatably coupling the shaft to a cam body rotatably positioned within the bore of the housing generally central to the windows; and 
 a plurality of deployable followers slidably disposed within the windows; 
 wherein rotation of the cam body deploys the followers radially outwardly within the windows to engage the tubular segment. 
 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 2  further comprising a rotary vaned actuator assembly coupled to the cam body to rotate the cam body relative to the housing and thereby deploy the followers into engagement with the wall of the tubular segment. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein the rotary vaned actuator assembly is hydraulically powered. 
     
     
       5. An apparatus for rotatably deploying a tubular gripping tool comprising:
 a rotary vaned actuator assembly having a splined bore to slidably receive a splined shaft; 
 a cam body having a plurality of cam surfaces and a splined bore to slidably receive the splined shaft; 
 a housing having a bore for receiving the cam body and a plurality of generally angularly distributed windows; and 
 a plurality of gripping jaws, movably received within the windows, having camming surfaces and gripping surfaces and positioned to engage the camming surfaces against cam surfaces on the cam body upon rotation of the cam body relative to the housing. 
 
     
     
       6. A method for making up and running a tubular string into an earthen borehole comprising:
 supporting a tubular string suspending device generally aligned with the earthen borehole using a rig; 
 supporting a tubular string within the earthen borehole with the tubular string suspending device by engaging and supporting the proximal end of the tubular string at a location just below an uppermost, threaded end of the tubular string; 
 translatably and rotatably supporting a tool for internally gripping a tubular segment from a downwardly disposed quill of a top drive assembly that is generally aligned with the earthen borehole; 
 suspending an elevator from the top drive assembly at a position intermediate the tool and the tubular string suspending device generally aligned with the tool and the borehole; 
 supporting a tubular segment having a first end and a threaded, second end using the elevator coupled to the tubular segment at the first end; 
 supporting the threaded second end of the tubular segment with the uppermost and threaded end of the suspended tubular string; 
 aligning the first end of the tubular segment with the tool to receive the tool within the bore of the tubular segment; 
 lowering the top drive assembly to slide the elevator downwardly along a portion of a length of the tubular segment; 
 continuing to lower the top drive assembly to insert the tool into the bore of the tubular segment; 
 deploying the tool to grip an interior wall of the tubular segment; 
 rotating the tool using the quill of the top drive assembly to make-up a threaded connection between the uppermost, threaded end of the suspended tubular string and the threaded, second end of the tubular segment to a predetermined torque; 
 retracting the tool to release the tubular segment; 
 raising the top drive assembly to withdraw the tool from the bore of the tubular segment; 
 continuing to raise the top drive assembly to slide the elevator back up along the portion of the length of the tubular segment; 
 continuing to raise the top drive assembly to reengage the elevator to the first end of the tubular segment; and 
 continue raising the top drive assembly to support the now-extended tubular string, including the tubular segment, using the top drive assembly. 
 
     
     
       7. An apparatus for gripping and rotating a tubular segment comprising:
 a housing having a bore and plurality of generally angularly distributed windows to slidably receive gripping jaws having radially outwardly disposed gripping surfaces and radially inwardly disposed camming surfaces; and 
 a rotatable central cam body having a plurality of cam surfaces thereon to engage the camming surfaces of the gripping jaws and displace the gripping jaws radially outwardly within the windows to bear against an interior wall of the tubular segment into which the apparatus is inserted; 
 wherein at least one gripping jaw comprises one or more slots there through forming a pathway between the gripping surface and the camming surface to receive a generally T-shaped retainer to secure the gripping jaw to the cam body having a generally T-shaped recess therein to receiving and movably couple the gripping jaw in sliding engagement with at least a portion of the cam body. 
 
     
     
       8. An apparatus to internally grip the bore of a tubular segment comprising:
 a generally tubular housing having one or more windows to slidably receive one or more radially movable gripping jaws; and 
 a cam body rotatably disposed within the bore of the housing adjacent the one or more windows to radially deploy the one or more gripping jaws upon rotation of the housing relative to the cam body; 
 wherein the one or more gripping jaws engage the cam body between a retracted position and one of a first deployed condition and a second deployed condition, wherein the first deployed position is obtained by rotation of the housing in a first direction relative to the cam body and the second deployed position is obtained by rotation of the housing in the opposite direction relative to the cam body. 
 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 8  further comprising an actuator to rotate the housing relative to the cam body. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the cam body is slidably received on a shaft. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein an exterior of the shaft is axially splined and the cam body has an internally splined bore to rotatably couple the cam body on the shaft and permit sliding movement along at least a portion of the shaft. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the shaft further comprises a bore to facilitate fluid flow through the apparatus. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the actuator comprises one or more elastomeric members disposed on an exterior of the housing to engage the interior wall of the tubular segment and frictionally resist rotation of the housing within the bore of the tubular segment upon rotation of the shaft. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the actuator further comprises a rotary vaned actuator assembly that comprises at least one angularly expandable chamber. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein the rotary vaned actuator assembly further comprises an angularly expandable chamber and an adjacent angularly retractable chamber, wherein the angularly expandable chamber receives fluid from a pump and expands as the adjacent angularly retractable chamber displaces fluid to a reservoir as it retracts. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 8  further comprising a deployable outrigger device to engage and frictionally couple the housing of the apparatus to an interior wall of the tubular segment, and a threaded connection for coupling the cam body to a quill of a top drive;
 wherein deployment of the outrigger device and rotation of the quill of the top drive assembly causes rotation of the housing relative to the cam body to deploy the gripping jaws. 
 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of  claim 8  comprising at least one elastomeric member secured to an exterior of the housing for frictionally engaging an interior wall of the tubular segment; wherein rotation of a quill of the top drive assembly causes rotation of the housing relative to the cam body to deploy the gripping jaws. 
     
     
       18. An apparatus to internally grip the bore of a tubular segment comprising:
 a generally tubular housing having one or more windows to slidably receive one or more radially movable gripping jaws; 
 a cam body rotatably disposed within the bore of the housing adjacent the one or more windows to radially deploy the one or more gripping jaws upon rotation of the housing relative to the cam body; and 
 a deployable outrigger device to engage and frictionally couple the housing of the apparatus to an interior wall of the tubular segment, and a threaded connection for coupling the cam body to a quill of a top drive, wherein deployment of the outrigger device and rotation of the quill of the top drive assembly causes rotation of the housing relative to the cam body to deploy the gripping jaws. 
 
     
     
       19. An apparatus to internally grip the bore of a tubular segment comprising:
 a generally tubular housing having one or more windows to slidably receive one or more radially movable gripping jaws; 
 a cam body rotatably disposed within the bore of the housing adjacent the one or more windows to radially deploy the one or more gripping jaws upon rotation of the housing relative to the cam body; and 
 at least one elastomeric member secured to and exterior of the housing for frictionally engaging and interior wall of the tubular segment; wherein rotation of a quill of the top drive assembly causes rotation of the housing relative to the cam body to deploy the gripping jaws.